Geoscientist agree that we are now living in the Anthropocene, an earth period when human activities started to have a significant global impact on geology and ecosystems. The narrative of this new man-made age is dominated by stories about ecological crises.

Fictional and non-fictional stories on topics such as climate change and other environmental disasters are ubiquitous. The human appears to be the ugly destructive element in an otherwise perfect and beautiful world even on lesser issues such as light pollution (see, https://youtu.be/j2hNaT56FUY). Often humans are portrayed as destructive outsiders to nature rather than integrated parts of the ecological system. While ecological sciences emphasise the positions of humans as part of the ecological system (after all humans are biological creatures and product of evolution) the most common artistic narratives identifies the human as external villain.

What are some of the common features of these narratives about nature? Are we stuck in a romanticized and moralistic vision of the “balance of nature” or have contemporary literature and art reached beyond those clichés towards something more productive? What do, or would, these alternative narratives look like? Do these narratives affect the way we feel – and act – towards the environment? Does environmental activism require the moralistic vision or is the opposite true?

We would like to read with you texts around this topic. We will provide you with texts on the day, which we will read and discuss. No prior knowledge on this topic is required – we will learn together.